Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar
10 S 2nd St, Philadelphia
(215) 627-0666
Recent Reviews
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We had tickets for a show and were delayed by traffic, so the schedule was tight. Our server did an amazing job of making sure we got to enjoy our meal while getting us out the door on time. Kudos to her and Cuba Libre!
Beautiful restaurant. Our server was very attentive and professional- made our evening wonderful. The food was delicious and totally enjoyable. I would definitely return for another evening. I would highly recommend this restaurant!
Love this restaurant. Casual but upscale at the same time. Fun ambiance. This visit I had two favorites: seafood stew and sliced avocado side. Have enjoyed the empanadas in the past. Classic mojito is always good. This visit I had a smoked drink with both bourbon and rum. Despite how it sounds, not alcohol forward. Our server was very pleasant, helpful, and efficient. If coming during happy hour time, ask for a table away from the bar, which is open to the dining room and very noisy.
Delicious food and great service. Mojitos were amazing as well.
Would have given them 5 Stars but even though we were there during happy hour, we were very disappointed when the server said we had to sit at the bar to get the happy hour prices ! That was very misleading bc the sign outside didn't say that at all !
We were coming home from the DE beaches to meet some friends and had our dog with us. It was too hot to leave him in the car and you graciously allowed him to sit under our table. Thank you ever so much. It meant the world to us - the true meaning of Cuban hospitality!
Great hang out for special occasions -even dining alone. Good drink menu -everything is affordable and a great value.
Overall, good experience. Good portions. Good service. Only disappointment were desserts, they were not authentic and had no taste.
Overall, this place is fun because of the vibe and it is different and they play nice music. The food is decent, but nothing amazing and the service depends on which server you get and how busy they are.
I recently dined at Cuba Libre for a friend’s birthday celebration, accompanied by a group of 4. Unfortunately, our experience fell short of expectations due to a combination of poor service and underwhelming food quality.
Upon arrival at 7:50 PM, we were seated promptly; however, it took nearly 40 minutes before our server returned to take our initial orders. Drink service was similarly delayed, and it wasn’t until another 20 minutes later that we were able to place our appetizer order. Despite the restaurant appearing busy, the level of attentiveness from our server did not meet the standard of service one might expect from a well-regarded establishment. It’s worth noting that Brandon, the nightlife manager, made multiple visits to our table to offer his apologies and acknowledge the delays, which we appreciated. Still, this gesture was difficult to reconcile with the observation that the table next to ours accommodated and served three different parties during the course of our visit.
We began our meal with the Cha Cha sampler platter, which included Guacamole Cubano, shrimp cocktail, pork masitas, chicken and ham croquetas, grilled chorizo, chicken chicharrones, black bean hummus, and plantain chips. We also ordered Mamá Amelia’s Empanadas—specifically the Chicken De la Casa variety, featuring chopped chicken, corn, and Jack cheese. The appetizers were the highlight of the evening and the only portion of the meal we found enjoyable and memorable.
For the entrée, I selected the Churrasco a la Cubana, an 8oz grilled skirt steak served with lemon-onion parsley sauce, baby arugula, red wine vinaigrette, and my choice of saffron rice in place of the standard garlic mashed potatoes. I also added grilled shrimp. Unfortunately, the dish was disappointing. The rice had an unpleasant aftertaste and several undercooked, crunchy grains, suggesting it may have come from the bottom of the pot or had been improperly stored. The overall flavor of the entrée was uninspiring, and the extended wait time—approximately 40 minutes—only added to the dissatisfaction.
Additionally, the drink service remained inconsistent throughout the evening, with incorrect orders and excessive delays.
In summary, while the ambiance and occasional staff check-ins were appreciated, the overall experience did not reflect the high praise I had previously heard about Cuba Libre. The lackluster food and subpar service make it unlikely that I will return. Based on this visit, I would rate the restaurant a 3 out of 10.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Recommended dishes: Passion Fruit
Restaurantji Recommends
I went to lunch with my wife and friend with the intention of letting my friend try the food since I love the food of Cuba Libre in AC, but to my surprise, my Paella was horrible, I could tell that the rice was fried since it was swimming in oil and both the shrimp and oysters were cooked separately, (when you cook the paella all together you can see that the oysters are filled with rice inside) in this case they were clean and tasteless as were the shrimp, my friend's suckling pig was completely salty, I doubt I will return
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 4
Went early for dinner the food and drinks do not give an authentic Cuban cuisine. The drinks are very overpriced as well. When we transitioned into the club at 11pm the dj and atmosphere was great.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 4
This restaurant delivers on atmosphere and is a good date spot. We ordered three items only. The mango butter with Cuban bread was a unique and tasty surprise (the first serving was free!), and the garlic shrimp was perfectly cooked. It was definitely the highlight. The garden salad was just okay, nothing special. Inside, the vibe was warm and lively, but stepping outside on a Sunday night felt a bit grimey, which was not the experience we wanted, especially parking far away from the restaurant. But if you’re looking for great Cuban flavors in a fun setting, it’s worth a visit.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Cuban Bread Basket
The food was good no complaints service was oooook maybe the girl serving was tire it was late drinks were great
The price is up there pricey but I think it was worth it I enjoy the food and drinks and the atmosphere
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Churrasco a La Cubana
Food was bland and hardly no taste ..
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 4
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